The most harmful lies, are the ones we tell ourselves ...Twice widowed, Margaret Sweeney swears off love, and marriage, and reluctantly assumes control of Sugar Hill, the tobacco plantation left her by her latest late husband. Not everyone applauds her choice. At least one is determined to drive her out by whatever means necessary. Worse, she's growing dangerously close to of Mr. Banner, Sugar Hill's tenured overseer, and his delightful daughter, Maisie. Joe Banner had his heart broken once, and vowed to never repeat the same mistake. The more time he spends with Sugar Hill's new owner, however, the more he questions his life's choices, including to remain aloof from love. Yet there's no future for him at Sugar Hill. Or with Margaret. She's his boss. A rich widow, and a land owner. He's merely the hired help. But how can he abandon her, and Sugar Hill, when he's needed most? As the physical walls between Margaret and Joe fall, the risk they'll each lose more than their hearts, escalates. And when Maisie ends up in the crossfire of adult grudges and greed, the couple is forced to choose: Let the ghosts of their pasts, and immediate threats to their futures drive them apart, or ... Do they trust what's in their hearts, and in each other, and give themselves, and Maisie, the life, love, and family they never dared to dream possible?Fans of historically-set dramas full of power imbalances, adventure, and intrigue, like the emotionally charged television series, Downton Abbey, will appreciate this evocative, and steamy stand-alone third instalment of the Dear One series.